Gaza Under Siege / Charles Stewart

Gaza Under Siege
Charles Stewart

One of the most densely populated places on earth, the Gaza Strip, is home to a million Palestinians -- and is a virtual prison. Just forty-three kilometers long and ten kilometers wide, most of its residents are refugees who have lived in camps since 1948. Since the Palestinian uprising -- the second Intifada -- began in September 2000, none of Gaza's forty thousand day laborers have been able to cross the border to Israel. The checkpoint is also closed to all goods and medical supplies coming in from Israel and the West Bank. Local Gazans bear the brunt of Israel's determination to quash the uprising.

This program from the City Life series films Reyidh and Sabah -- from just one refugee family trying to cope. Already poor, the family has reached breaking point, with Sabah wondering how long life can go on with no solution in sight.

Raji Sorani, a human rights lawyer, asks why the United Nations shies away from its responsibilities and fails to criticize Israel's aggression and the denial of the Palestinians' rights -- rights laid down in UN resolutions, but ignored by Israel, and it seems, by the rest of the international community.